Peranzana
Puglia has always told a story about this variety arriving from Provence — the local names Provenzale and Francese preserve it. The molecular evidence points somewhere else entirely: Peranzana is the same genotype as Sardinia’s Bosana.
In the grove
Peranzana is grown in the Alto Tavoliere north-west of Foggia, around Torremaggiore, with smaller plantings in Molise and Marche. Estimates of its area range from 5,000–6,000 hectares to about 10,000, depending on whether table-only groves are counted. It is medium in vigour, roots poorly, comes into bearing late, and yields modestly in the early years.
Its reproductive biology is the planting constraint that matters: self-fertility around 4% and ovary abortion around 40% mean an orchard depends heavily on cross-pollination. And despite the IOC classifying its phenol content as low, two decades of panel-tested Apulian monovarietals give a mean of 396 mg/kg — among the higher figures in this set.
Compared with the other reference cultivars
| Cultivar | Origin | Typical polyphenols | Sensory profile | Best pairing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peranzana | Puglia, Italy | ~396 mg/kg mean | Balanced — sweet, bitter and pungent at once, almond finish | Grilled vegetables, orecchiette, fresh cheese |
| Picual | Jaén, Spain | 300–700 mg/kg | Intensely green, clean bitterness, late-building pungency | Tomato salad, grilled vegetables, bread and salt |
| Coratina | Puglia, Italy | 330–410 mg/kg | Powerfully green and herbaceous, strong bitterness and pungency | Bean soups, grilled meat, bitter greens |
| Koroneiki | Messinia, Greece | Around the Greek mean; Cretan surveys 138–441 mg/kg | Green and aromatic, balanced bitterness and pungency | Greek salad, feta, grilled fish, horta |
| Arbequina | Lleida, Spain | 200–230 mg/kg | Soft, sweet entry, barely bitter, light pungency | Fish, salads, baking, mayonnaise |
| Frantoio | Tuscany, Italy | ~230 mg/kg | Aromatic and grassy, bright green, firmly pungent when early | Ribollita, grilled bread, white beans |
| Leccino | Tuscany, Italy | ~150 mg/kg | Mild and soft, light spice, low bitterness | Fish, delicate vegetables, blending with Frantoio |
| Moraiolo | Umbria, Italy | ~270 mg/kg | Intense and structured, pronounced bitterness and pungency | Legume soups, grilled meat, bruschetta |
Polyphenol figures are the ranges published for each variety, not measurements of any bottle in the library. A single oil's figure depends on when it was picked and how it was milled, and is shown on that oil's own page where the producer states one.